diaspora Flashcards
(19 cards)
what is diaspora?
scattered human population beyond a home territory that remains interconnected
what was term diaspora originally coined for?
used to describe the experience of forced removal or exile of jews to Babylon in 586BC
Leung (2004) description of diaspora
a ‘dynamic patchwork’ that arises from an assemblage of overlapping journeys by individuals of the same community
what are diasporas formed around?
identities of collective rememberance and commemoration of the homeland
rather than geographical territory
what is diasporic consciousness?
awareness and understanding individuals have of their relationship to a dispersed community or homeland, often stemming from migration or displacement
what implications does diaspora have for the nation state?
problematises the spatially bound historically unselfconscious nations underpinning the nation state
Ashutosh (2020)
diasporic infrastructure and urbanism
explain Ashutosh understanding of Diaspora infrastructure
infrastructure plays a critical role in shaping diasporic identities and meaning
- paths of forces africans in slave trade were carved by set of infrastructures that were meant to contain black bodies
the ship was where the first seeds of community were planted within the African Atlantic diaspora = whilst chained together
Modern articulations of diasporic infrastructure can be seen in:
airports
diasporas are routed through airports that shape meaning
categorisation of migrants in hierarchy
channels of connection and barriers of separation
explain Ashutosh understanding of diasporic urbanism
diasporic communities are not merely defined by their connections to homeland but also by the urban environments in which ppl settle
- minorities articulate emergent identities and challenge dominant structures of power
- urban diaspora areas can become important sites of resistance and contention
Reflect an insurgent citizenship = where marginalised groups claim space within the city and articulate alternative forms of belonging
how does diaspora urbanism challenge understandings of the city?
rather than seeing diasporas as peripheral to cities and national frameworks
diaspora urbanism sets them as central actors in the making of contemporary cities
challenges the static conceptions of space
Eritrean diaspora and technology
Bernal (2006)
Bernal 2006
Eritrean diaspora and technology shaping this
what has the Eritrean diaspora told us abt technologies role in shaping diasporic communities?
creation of a tranantional third space characterised by creativity
a zone of multiple borders = a frontier for modernity
internet and tech do break doen boarders but they do not erase them = can be seen as reconfiguring borders
web can be used to = mobilise demonstrators , amass funds and engage diasporic community in homeland politics (gov)
how has the eritrean diaspora used technology?
used cyberspace to theorise new ways of tranasationalism
= rise of new forms of community, public spheres and sites of cultural production
struggle for national independence coincided with the rise of the internet
Eritrean diaspora used this public sphere as a space to debate narratives of history, culture and democracy and identity
relationship between eritrea and the nation state diaspora
Eritrean diaspora can be considered an extention of the nation= eritrease can participate in the politics of their homeland from an overseas location
shows that citizens are not just receivers of state power but also have an active role in production of state power
how does the eritrean diaspora engage in novel form of citizenship?
emotional citizenship
sense of themselves is intertwined with the destiny of eritrea as a nation even if no intention of living their
Key web page used by eritreans to construct identity and engage in political discourse
www.dehai.org
what tactics has the state used to actively engage the Eritrean diaspora?
- allows dual citizenship through issuig ational identity cards that recognise ppl as eristrean citizens despite holding passport for another country
- through remittances
